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Marvin Gaye's Son Talks 'Blurred Lines' Lawsuit

By Raphael Chestang 4:52 PM PST, November 18, 2013

Marvin Gaye's son, Marvin Gaye III and his attorney David Rudich opened up to ET about defending his father's legacy in a reluctant court battle between his family and the writers of Robin Thicke's summer hit, Blurred Lines.

In a lawsuit filed in October, Marvin Gaye's heirs claimed that Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines is an illegal rip-off of their father's song Got to Give It Up. The suit also involves Thicke's co-writers Pharrell Williams and rapper T.I. (real name Clifford Harris Jr.).

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Strangely, Gaye's heirs filed the claim to counter a suit filed months ago by Thicke, T.I. and Pharrell in which they asked a judge to declare that the song did not infringe on Gaye's copy written work. The original suit followed internet rumblings that the song bore a striking resemblance to Got to Give It Up.

Attorney Owen Sloane explained why the plaintiffs would file first, saying, "They wanted to do a preemptive move. There was a dispute and they could've waited to be sued, but it looks worse if they're on the defending side."

According to Marvin, he may not have even pursued legal action had he not been sued first.

"It didn't even get to that point," said Marvin, who would prefer to settle the matter amicably out of court. "They felt the need to jump the gun, so here we are."

Now that they've brought it to this point, Marvin seems to have one main objective, "I want to see my father get credit for his work," he said.

Amid this legal battle, Marvin is also struggling to find a kidney donor. He suffers from kidney failure as a result of hypertension and diabetes and is currently on dialysis. Those interested in helping Marvin can call 866-672-5333 or e-mail kidneyformarvin@yahoo.com.